The sport of paintball or splatball interchangeable terms, is a rapidly growing sport. In this sport, teams of a selected number of persons, attempt to capture a trophy, such as a flag, from the "home" of the opposing team. Persons from one teams will, upon finding an opposing player, fire a fragile, easily broken, paint containing cartridge at this opponent and if this player is hit by such cartridge, they will be marked with paint and be declared "dead" or out of the game. Such games including game times and areas are all pre-established and, obviously, the team that can endure and succeed in capturing the opponents flag with remaining, untainted personnel is the winner.
To date there has been no manner, other than by consulting a dial or wrist watch by which a player can establish what time has lapsed and thus calculate the time remaining in the game. Further, to date, no manner has been provided for the player to determine how fast he or she is shooting and no manner for determining how many shots have been fired.
The paintball gun is supplied with, normally, CO2 under pressure, as the cartridge propellant and the gun is supplied with a load canister into which a number of cartridges are initially stocked with the user normally carrying an additional refill supply.
Therefore the aspects of shot count, game time remaining and shot rate are important to the player. For example, with a high shot rate, the player knows that resupply is necessary within short periods and the provided monitor will give him visual readout as to just how quickly the ammunition is being utilized. Game time remaining is essential for the "battle plans" of the game. Obviously as the game draws to a close, quicker action may be needed.
It is therefore an object of the applicants' invention to provide a visual readout monitor for a paintball gun which will give the user a count of the number of shots that have been fired whether single or automatic shot conditions are in use.
It is a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a visual readout monitor for a paintball gun which will present a game time remaining readout.
It is still a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a monitor having a visuaal readout for use with a paintball gun which will provide, through micrprocessing of information, a shot rate analysis so the user of the gun will be knowledgeable of the rate of paintball ammunition useage.
It is still a further object of the applicants' invention to provide a visual readout for a paintball gun which will provide the user with gas supply tank source information.
In addition to the above, a battery status readout may be provided to assure monitor operation.
These and other objects and advantages will further appear from a consideration of the accompanying disclosure made in association with the provided drawings.